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South America: 6.7 magnitude Earthquake hits Chile; Peru

A 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Chile’s Pacific coast Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake’s epicenter was 60 kilometers (37 miles) west-northwest of Iquique, Chile, and its depth was 20 kilometers (12.4 miles), the USGS said.

There were no immediate reports of damages or injuries, but local emergency officials activated a precautionary tsunami warning along the coast and urged residents to move to higher ground, regional emergency official Juan Basaez told CNN Chile.

Sea level readings in the area indicate a tsunami was generated, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said, but there is no widespread destructive tsunami threat.

The quake happened in a region that marks the boundary between two tectonic plates, where the oceanic crust of the Nazca Plate moves under the South American Plate. These subduction zones are often the sites of volcanic activity and earthquakes.

The center warned of possible destruction on the coast within 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the quake’s epicenter.

– CNN

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